Chicago Cubs: How Javier Baez Went from Near Castoff to NLCS Co-MVP

Javier Baez was almost an afterthought for the Chicago Cubs. Last night, he was named the co-MVP of the National League Championship Series.

On Saturday night, Chicago Cubs super utility player Javier Baez hoisted the National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award, an honor he now shares with co-MVP Jon Lester. Baez has come a long way in a very short period of time, considering that at one point, Baez was considered the odd man out in the young nucleus of Chicago Cubs budding superstars.

At the start of the 2016 season, Baez was a man without a home in the Cubs starting lineup. Given the emergence of Kris Bryant at third-base, Addison Russell at shortstop, and the newly acquired Ben Zobrist at second-base, Baez was without a place in the lineup. Of course Anthony Rizzo is the staple at first-base on the north side of Chicago, even the outfield was set with Kyle Schwarber, Dexter Fowler and Jason Heyward from left to right.

We all knew that Javier Baez was talented, especially because of his impressive defensive ability at a multitude of positions, but with the incredible job that Theo Epstein and the rest of the Cubs front office did while building the young core of this ball club, Baez was relegated to the bench by default.

In fact, last winter Chicago Sun-Times beat writer Gordon Wittenmyer tweeted out that the Cubs and the Braves were close to finalizing a deal. Baez was rumored to be part of a package for then Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Shelby Miller, before the Arizona Diamondbacks offered up last year’s number one overall draft pick Dansby Swanson in return for Miller.

Given what we’ve seen out of Miller in 2016, the Cubs dodged an enormous bullet when they didn’t pull the trigger on that deal.

So how did Baez go from being expendable to indispensable in less than a years time?

Well for starters Cubs fans should thank the Diamondbacks for ultimately out-bidding them with the Dansby Swanson offering last winter; if not for that, we wouldn’t be having this conversation today.

Secondly, and maybe most importantly, Joe Maddon absolutely loves what Javier Baez brings to the table. Joe Maddon responded to all of the questions about where Baez fits in on the current Cubs roster by proclaiming his love for the versatility and intangibles that Baez possess’.

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During spring training, Maddon shifted Baez all over the diamond. Baez took each and every assignment in stride, and proved his skipper’s instincts to be correct. He started the season in the bench player role, spelling whomever he was called upon on any given day, and continued to display his wide array of skills, being compared to a “Swiss-Army Knife” at one point by Manager Joe Maddon.

The twenty-three year old Baez played in 142 games during the regular season, splitting time between third-base, shortstop, second-base, first-base, and left-field. Even with the array of defensive assignments Baez posted a 2.0 dWAR in 2016. The offensive numbers were equally as impressive as Baez hit .273 with 14 home runs and 59 RBI, and even stole 12 bases.

If he hadn’t already, Baez has cemented himself in the Chicago Cubs plans for the future this postseason, hitting .371 with one home run, four doubles, seven RBI and a pair of stolen bases through 10 games, culminating with his NLCS Co-MVP Award on Saturday night.

Next: Cubs punch World Series ticket

For a guy that was surrounded by uncertainties less than a year ago, there sure are two certainties after tonight… Javier Baez played and instrumental role in the Cubs first National League Pennant in 71 years, and Baez is here to stay on the north side of Chicago.

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